Rwanda announces capture of rebel group leader

Rwanda has detained Callixte Nsabimana alias Sankara, who announced himself as the head of Rwanda rebel group National Liberation Force (NLF), Rwanda foreign minister Richard Sezibera said on Tuesday.

Callixte Nsabimana

NLF is a military wing of a Rwanda opposition political party, the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change led by Rwandan dissident Paul Rusesabagina, known for protecting people during 1994’s Rwandan genocide as a manager of Hotel des Mille Collines.

Nsabimana, in an interview with the BBC Kinyarwanda service in July 2018, claimed that NLF had started an armed struggle in Rwanda to oust the Rwandan government.

Nsabimana has been wanted over several offences committed on the Rwandan territory, including the formation of an irregular armed group, incitement to commit terrorist acts, among other crimes, said Sezibera at a press briefing on the security situation after meeting foreign diplomats.

He also said the Rwandan government has raised concern over leaders of armed groups operating from neighbouring countries, who have been claiming responsibility for terrorist attacks on the Rwandan territory and announced plans to destabilise the country.

Leaders of terrorist groups are moving freely and making statements from Europe, Canada and are not held accountable for their criminal activities, he added.

“This is unacceptable. We ask these countries to either prosecute or extradite them,’’ he said.

He, however, assured the security of Rwanda, saying the country will continue to be safe.

Speaking on potential risks of terrorism attacks in the country, he said the country is aware that there are people who try to carry out terrorism attacks.

He said that many of them have been apprehended, adding that those who have not been apprehended will be apprehended soon.
The country will continue to build capacity to detect, prevent and deter terrorism or terrorist activities, he added.